On the Strand
by Beth - Geek Chick
Summary: On the trail of missing intel, Annie, Auggie and Jai head to London undercover.


**A/N One of my favorite fanfics. Enjoy.**

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><p>"Coffee at your 10:00, Auggie," Annie said, placing the Starbucks container on his desk.<p>

"You've been here over a year, Annie. Thought you'd graduated from coffee runs," he replied, leaning back in his chair and tilting his head towards her.

"Who says I'm on a coffee run?"

"The last time you brought me coffee, you were on a coffee run. That was, let's see, about six months ago."

"If you don't want it," Annie said, reaching for the cup. His arm flashed out and stayed her arm before her fingers could grasp it. With the other, he plucked the cup away from her grasp and brought it to his lips. Taking a sip of the hot, creamy liquid, he smiled at her.

"Uh-uh, it's mine now. What do you want?"

"What makes you think I want something?" Annie asked, more than aware of his hand still on her wrist. Leaning down towards him, she said softly, "You know, most people just thank the bearer of gifts, not interrogate them on their motives."

"So you really don't want anything?"

"No."

"Hmm, okay," he said, squeezing her wrist before letting go and leaning back in his chair as her heels clicked their way back to her desk. Still, he thought to himself, taking another drink, it was noteworthy that she bought him coffee. Mentally, he added it to the list of things he'd noticed about her in the past few months. It had started one morning when she'd stopped by his office and asked him how he was doing. Nothing else, no advice asked, no needing a soundboard for her latest troubles with her family or dating life. He had brushed it off then.

And the time he heard her berate another office worker - he couldn't recall the man's name - for leaving his chair blocking the aisle between their desks. She'd even once offered to pick up his groceries because, as she told him on the phone that weekend, she was headed to the store and wondered if he needed anything. He'd thanked her and said he'd placed his order already and was waiting for it to be delivered. Separately, those scenarios and a few more like them meant nothing but considerate behavior from a close friend, but as they began to accumulate, week after week, he got intrigued.

His door slid open again. "We've got a briefing, Auggie, conference room in ten minutes," Annie said from the doorway.

"Be right there," he replied, putting aside his thoughts and retrieving his laser cane from his pocket. Picking up his coffee and draining it, he threw the empty container in his trash can and headed for the door. It was still open, and as he stepped through the doorway, he felt Annie's hand at his elbow.

"So," he said, transferring the laser cane to his other hand and switching their hand positions so his grip was on her elbow, "what's the meeting about?"

"Joan didn't say," Annie replied. "Just asked me to get you and Jai and meet her there."

"And you've already escorted him, I assume?" he asked, a smile playing around his lips. "Didn't know the department was offering door-to-door service."

"Ha ha. I passed him in the hallway and told him, then came to tell you," Annie replied. "If you'd rather walk alone, I'll run a few steps ahead, and you can follow me."

Auggie squeezed her elbow in reply, no longer able to hold back his smile. "No need. Besides, if I'm going to be waited on, I'd rather it be with you."

He let the flirty, yet innocuous, statement stand, waiting to see if she'd respond in any way. They'd reached the conference room, though, before she could respond, and he released her arm and took an empty seat.

Joan strode into the room, looking around at her assembled team. "Good, you're all here. If you'll have a look at the files, something's come up that needs our immediate attention."

Stephen, Joan's assistant, handed the files around to the agents. As they were opened and perused, Joan continued, "We've received intel that highly classified information - information that supposedly secure - was stolen yesterday from a CIA operative's laptop. The information was downloaded via smart chip, and the computer's drive had been erased. No backup existed, and despite the efforts of our best forensic technicians, the information is irrevocably gone."

Joan paused, allowing the details to sink in, and her team to follow along in the files. As they raised their heads, one by one, to her, she said, "The CIA operative was based in London, deep undercover. He's been pulled back to headquarters and debriefed. Apparently, his undercover operation included having a girlfriend, whom he suspects to be the one who stole the intel."

"So, a clean-up operation, huh?" Jai asked. "And given the fact it's been dumped into our laps, I take it the intel dealt with a threat to the US?"

"The exact details of the intel are classified, Jai. What's important is that the girlfriend be found, and the smartchip retrieved. And before you ask, Annie," Joan said, noticing the young woman's quizzical look, "British government knows nothing about it, and we'd like to keep it that way. According to the operative - uhh, William Adams is his name - the woman is a civilian. He could give no reason why she would steal the information. All he knows is that she disappeared the same time he found his computer to be erased."

"If she's gone, how are we supposed to find her?" Annie asked.

"Because, as I said, she's a civilian. Her idea of hiding is to check into a hotel under a different name. But we've found her. She's staying at the Savoy in central London. Apparently, she's very well off and is using it as her main residence."

Turning to the monitor behind her, Joan pulled up a map of London. "Now, the Savoy is located here, on the Strand. You three will book yourselves as business associates into The Strand Hotel, which is located directly across the street. The rooms we've acquired are on the top floor with visual access to the entrance."

At Joan's remarks, Annie looked around. Only her, Jai, Auggie, Joan and Stephen were in the room. "Joan? You said all three. Who all's going?"

"Annie, please don't interrupt," Joan said as Auggie's foot connected with Annie's shin under the table. "We're doing this quietly. The woman, who's booked into the Savoy under the name Marcy Piper, is actually Jane Black. Not much information could be found on her, and all that we have is in the file that Adams provided."

Turning away from the monitor, Joan focused back on her assembled team. "Jai, you will establish contact with Miss Black. Use whatever means necessary to get close to her and retrieve the intel. Annie, you're going along as backup. We're not sure what type of person she is, and you may have to befriend her, as well."

"How about it, Annie? Ready to stroll on the Strand with me?" Jai said, flashing a megawatt smile over the table at her.

Raising his eyebrows at the cheesy line, Auggie turned his attention to Joan. "Joan, back to what Annie asked, you mentioned three people?"

"You will be the third, Auggie," Joan said, smiling at the shocked look on his face. "Jai or Annie, whoever is able to get close enough to Jane Black, will place monitoring equipment in her suite at the Savoy. You will monitor from the Strand Hotel and provide support. Unless, of course, you'd prefer to do it here?"

"No, no, of course not," Auggie said. "Just didn't think you'd be wanting to send me back out after -"

"All you'll be doing is what you do here, Auggie," Joan said. "Now, the details are in your packets. You'll be leaving tonight, so go home and pack a bag."

Gathering her paperwork and files, Joan walked to the door. "Jai? If you'd follow me to my office?"

"Sure, Joan," Jai said, following her out of the room.

When they'd left, Annie turned to Auggie, who sat dumbstruck in his chair, a self-satisfied smile on his face. "Congratulations, Auggie. Guess you do qualify for field work now."

"Guess so, though it's not really field work. Instead of being stuck in the office, I'll be stuck in a tourist-trap of a hotel," he said.

"Come on, it's more than that," Annie said, placing her hand on his arm. "She's showing confidence in you again."

Auggie nodded, knowing she was right. He never thought Joan would allow him out of the office again after his disastrous foray with Natasha a year ago. Guess my unofficial jail sentence is up, he thought to himself as he stood up. He was about to leave the room when Annie's voice stopped him.

"Hey, want me to pick you up on my way to the airport tonight? Save you on cab fare," Annie asked.

"Sure, I'd appreciate that," Auggie said.

Chapter 2

Annie knocked on Auggie's apartment door at precisely 6 p.m. Their flight, a redeye from Dulles to Heathrow, departed in a couple of hours. She'd told Jai that Auggie would be riding with her, and he said he'd meet them at the gate.

Not hearing an answer to her knock, she rapped again, slightly louder this time. "Auggie? It's Annie. Are you ready -"

She jumped back slightly as the door slid open suddenly. Auggie stood there, clad in the same black slacks, grey shirt and vest he wore to work that day. He was out of breath, and his hair stuck out wildly.

"Sorry," he flustered out, "I only just got back here. We had a difficult time getting the equipment sorted out." Pointing to a large black briefcase sitting on his couch, he said, "Had to make it small enough to pass as a business briefcase, but also had to make sure any scans wouldn't harm the electronics." Leaving her standing by the door, he walked quickly to his bedroom, then through to his walk-in closet.

Raising his voice so she could hear, he said, "I've still got to pack. I'll be out in a few minutes."

Crouching down, Auggie slid a few boxes on the floor of the closet, feeling around for the suitcase he had stowed away there. His fingers touched a wheel and running his hands past it, he felt the zipper. Success. Gripping the handle, he gave a tug. It moved a few inches and stopped. He tugged harder, only to hear a ripping sound.

"What the -" he said, before feeling a soft hand on his shoulder. He jumped slightly, not realizing Annie had entered the room.

"Here, let me," she said, bending down beside him. Reaching her hand to the back of the closet, she untangled a bunch of material that had wrapped its way around one of the small wheels. Once free, she slid the suitcase the rest of the way out of the closet and placed it on the bed.

"Thanks," she heard Auggie say behind her.

"No problem," Annie replied, standing back up. Turning around, she was startled to find him so close. In her heels, she came almost nose-to-nose with him. Her hand had bumped his chest, and she quickly pulled it away.

"What was it caught on?" Auggie asked, aware of her nearness, but even more aware of the fact that she made no effort to move.

"Huh?" Annie said, finding herself mesmerized by his wide smile and sparkling brown eyes.

"The suitcase. I heard something rip," Auggie said, taking a step back from her and turning toward the closet.

"Oh," Annie said, clearing her throat and bending down again. She pulled out the material, caught under the edge of a box. "It's your Nintendo t-shirt. Guess it fell off the hanger. It's torn."

"Damn, that was my favorite one," Auggie said, taking the shirt from her and frowning.

"You've got others, surely," Annie chuckled.

"It's a classic," Auggie replied, "And before you make any remarks about geeks and their obsessions, could you get my toiletry bag from the bathroom?"

As her heels clicked out of his bedroom, Auggie turned to his closet, pulling several items off the hangers and laying them on the bed. Unzipping the suitcase, he folded the items and placed them inside, letting his mind wander to the woman whom he heard rummaging around in the next room.

Although he'd been intrigued by her ever-increasing acts of consideration over the past few months, he also wondered exactly where they were leading. He had thought nothing of them as they occurred, but when the realization came to him that morning that there might be an ulterior motive to her actions, his mind kept coming back to them.

The latest, only a few seconds earlier when she'd stood so close to him he could feel her breath on his face, sent a long-forgotten warmth down his spine. He'd stepped back from her, unsure if it was a deliberate act on her part or not. Absolutely noteworthy, on both their parts.

He zipped his suitcase shut again and took off his vest and shirt, opting for a soft sweater to travel in. "Hey, Annie, did you get lost in there?" He was pulling the sweater over his head when he heard her return.

"I've got it here," Annie said, tucking the leather bag beside his clothing and zipping the case. "Well, Anderson? Ready to head back into the field again?"

Auggie smiled and placed the suitcase on the ground, pulling up the handle. "Absolutely."

"No, you take the window seat. I insist," Auggie said, standing in the aisle of the airplane after stowing the black briefcase securely in the overhead compartment.

"It's your assigned seat, Auggie. And as it's night, there's no view to see, anyway," Annie argued.

"Are you seriously arguing with a blind man over who gets the window seat?" Jai asked with a tone of exasperation and humor as he moved past them to his own seat in the row behind them.

Shooting Jai a withering look, Annie huffed, giving up the argument. The business section of the British Airways plane gave a bit more room than she's used to, flying coach on the majority of her missions. She'd flown so often, the choice of seats never bothered her. She settled herself into her seat, and Auggie soon followed, settling in beside her.

As the preflight speech came over the speaker system, she buckled her seatbelt and stretched her legs out in front of her. Hoping she'd be able to fit in a few hours of sleep on the long flight, she leaned her seat back a bit and closed her eyes.

Soon, though, she heard another voice mixed in with the flight attendant's. It was low, familiar and behind her. An answering feminine giggle answered, and her eyes opened. Angling her head towards the break between her and Auggie's seat, she listened.

"Truly, you've never flown before? There's really nothing to be frightened of," Jai's smooth voice came to her. She had seen the woman who had sat next to him - young, blonde, pretty - and realized Jai was turning on the charm.

Clapping her hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle, Annie elbowed Auggie in the ribs. When he leaned his head towards her, she leaned up to whisper in his ear, "Jai's hitting on his seatmate. Can you hear?"

Auggie nodded, smiling, and put his finger to his lips. He then ducked his head down to her, their foreheads touching, as they eavesdropped.

"I'll just be in London for the week, on business, Tiffany. If you're back in DC when I return, perhaps we can meet up for drinks?"

Annie dissolved into giggles, which Auggie tried to stifle by quickly placing his hand over her mouth, but apparently, Jai had heard. He felt a not-so-gentle nudge against the back of his seat and quickly sat back up.

Several hours later, Auggie woke to a feeling of a heavy weight pressing on his shoulder. Momentarily disoriented, he froze. Then, as the sounds of the plane's engine and others' light snoring reached his ears, he remembered where he was. The weight, though, was a mystery, and he reached his free arm over to it. Soft hair grazed his fingers, and he realized sometime in the night, Annie had fallen asleep and slid over onto his shoulder. He felt her breath blowing her hair onto his hand, and still half-asleep, he brushed the lock off her face, tucking it behind her ear, his fingers moving across her cheek in the process.

A wave of sleep came over him again, and he closed his eyes, only slightly aware of the fact that Annie, in her sleep, clasped his fingers as they moved across her face and twined her own into his, their arms falling on the hand handrest between them.

Jai woke with a start. He was never too comfortable sleeping in an upright position, and he'd been restless all night. His seatmate, Tiffany, although she claimed to never have flown before, fell asleep about an hour into the flight. She was softly snoring beside him, and taking care not to wake her, he unbuckled his seatbelt and stood.

Walking quietly down the aisle, he glanced over at Auggie and Annie and stopped short, his mouth falling open. Annie's head was tucked into Auggie's shoulder, and his rested against hers. Their hands were clasped together on the seatrest as they slept.

Backing away from the surprising situ, he made his way to the restroom and let himself in. As he splashed cold water on his face, his mind raced at the thought of his two friends hooking up. They'd never given any indication in the past that they were anything more than friends, and, he thought to himself, he surely would have noticed it.

He was closer to Annie than he was Auggie, given the fact that she'd surprisingly forgiven him several months ago for being involved in Arthur's plot regarding Ben Mercer. It had taken some time for her to soften towards him, and he'd promised himself never to take that friendship for granted again.

Now, it seems, he thought, she had truly gotten over his betrayal and death. Auggie had been there for her when they'd returned from Sri Lanka so many months ago, and, if he were truly honest with himself, he was grateful to the man for being there for her.

As he made his way back down to his seat, a sudden thought occurred to him. As he reached Annie and Auggie's seats, he glanced around to make sure the flight attendants were nowhere to be seen and fished his smartphone out of his pocket. Surreptitiously, he turned it on and took a quick photo of the sleeping couple. If his suspicions were correct, and Annie and Auggie did end up together, Annie might appreciate the memory. It's the least he could do for her.

Chapter 3

Annie made her way down the labyrinth of the seventh floor of the Strand Palace Hotel, searching for room 714, her suitcase rolling along behind her. Auggie followed behind, and then Jai. Their rooms were strategically chosen for them, Joan had mentioned, to have visual access from their windows to the Savoy's entrance. The building itself only had nine stories, and they were well above street level.

"Okay, here we are," she said. "714. Auggie, you're 716, right? That's right beside me. And Jai, it looks like you're beside Auggie."

Fitting her keycard into the lock, she swung the door open to find one of the smallest hotel rooms she'd ever seen. "Oh, my god," she muttered, "Well, it's a good thing it's listed as a single. I doubt if two people can fit inside here."

"It can't be that bad," she heard Auggie say behind her in the hallway.

"You just wait," she said to him, rolling her suitcase into the room and shutting the door again. "I bet all the rooms on this floor are like this."

Jai walked past them to his room and let himself in, while Annie took Auggie's keycard and opened the door to his room, swinging it open wide and taking the briefcase from his hand and the suitcase, stowed both in the small closet against the back wall.

Turning around, she saw him take a few steps in, white cane swinging back and forth. As it hit the wall on his right and the bed on his left, she laughed. "Told you it was small."

"Yeah, don't think I'm going to have much trouble navigating this," Auggie said, nodding. "But if you would -" he asked, motioning around the room.

"From where you're standing, the room is rectangular. Ten steps to the window, approximately five steps across. Bed's on your left. It's a rather skinny twin, but looks comfortable. Bathroom's behind the door at your 9. Desk to your right, with closet at the end of it," Annie said.

Auggie felt out his hand to the wall on his right. "What's this?" he asked, as his fingers felt around the outline of what seemed to be a door. His cane hit what he surmised to be the desk beyond it.

"I guess that's a door linking our rooms," Annie said, settling herself on the wide window ledge. "My room's got a similar door right there."

"That's convenient," Auggie teased, tilting an eyebrow toward her.

"In your dreams, Anderson," Annie said, watching as he took careful steps around, feeling the dimensions of the desk, chair, closet, and as he passed her, she pulled her feet up under her so his cane wouldn't hit her in the shins.

He turned and made his way down the other side of the room. "Where are you?" he asked, lifting his cane to sweep across the empty bed.

"Sitting on the window ledge behind you. It's deep, about two feet," Annie said, pulling back the curtains and looking out. "And Joan was right, there's the Savoy entrance. We shouldn't have any trouble monitoring from here."

Auggie nodded, and as he came to the bathroom entrance, turned and went inside.

Hearing Jai's door close, Annie scooted off her perch and walked to the door, meeting him there. The look on his face was priceless.

"I've had walk-in closets bigger than that room," he grumbled. "Guess yours aren't any better, huh?" he asked, looking around behind her.

Annie shook her head, laughing.

"Don't worry, Jai," Auggie said, walking out of the bathroom and coming up behind Annie. "If you play your cards right, you'll soon be across the street in the King's Suite."

"I've just gotta get close to Miss Black, Anderson. I don't plan on moving in with her," Jai said. Stretching his arms above his head, he yawned. "First an uncomfortable plane seat, now a bed the size of a cot. I'm going to go sleep off my jet lag. I'd suggest you two do the same. We've only got 'til the end of the week to pull this mission off."

Annie shrugged her shoulders, leaning against the doorframe. "I don't know about Auggie, but I slept all right on the plane. Right now, all I am is hungry."

Jai glanced at her, and then at Auggie, who nodded. Their inexpressive faces stared back at him. Oh, wow, he thought to himself. They truly had no idea of how they'd fallen asleep on the plane. Holding back a smile, he was secretly glad he'd snapped the picture. Whether or not he'd share it with them depended on future events, of course, but for now, he'd keep the information to himself.

"Well, I'll see the two of you in a few hours, then. We'll go over the details of the operation later today, when we've all settled in," Jai said, letting himself back in his room and locking it.

Annie stepped out of Auggie's doorway and headed to her room to change out of her business suit and heels. She was tying the laces of her shoes when she heard a knocking on the inner door. "Come in, Auggie. It's unlocked."

"See, what'd I tell you? Convenient," Auggie said, walking in. "Your room laid out the same as mine?"

"Exactly, but backwards. Bed's on your right, Desk on your left," Annie said. "Have a seat."

Auggie sat on her bed, "You said something about eating. Were you going to order room service?"

"No, the menu didn't look very promising, so I was going to head down to the McDonald's."

"There's a McDonald's nearby?" Auggie asked, smiling.

"Yep, just down the road. Want me to bring you something?"

"If you don't mind the company, I'd like to stretch my legs. Plane ride left me a bit stiff," Auggie said.

"Mmm, same here. Guess I fell asleep in a weird position," Annie said, standing. Auggie followed suit, and she hooked her arm through his elbow. As they exited the hotel, Auggie let her lead him down the unfamiliar street. He'd never been to the city and felt a bit disoriented by the new smells, the buzz of people's voices around him, and the loud traffic. He was glad Annie was there, as he figured another agent, or even Jai himself, wouldn't bother "sighting" him, as it were. He'd been teasing her the past few days about her increasing interest in him, but now, he thought to himself, he was more than a little grateful for her friendship and attention.

"Annie?" he said, as she slowed their walk and came to a stop.

"You can probably smell the food, huh? It's just across the street."

"No," Auggie said, placing his hand over hers on his upper arm. "I just wanted to say thanks for -"

Annie looked up at him as he hesitated. "Auggie?"

"Thanks for treating me to breakfast," he said, forcing lightness into his voice.

"Treating? Who says I'm paying?" Annie asked, trying to sound indignant and failing.

"Well, it was your idea," he said as she lead him across the road.

"So, Anderson, you've got everything set up, right?" Jai asked, taking a drink out of his tall glass of dark brew.

"Yes," Auggie said, pulling a small black bag out of his jacket pocket. "And here are the bugs. As soon as they're placed, they're active, and we're ready to go."

They were gathered in a back booth in a pub Jai had insisted they go to that night after dinner, after complaining that he needed a drink, and the restaurant only served non-alcoholic drinks. He'd ordered a pint of Guinness for all three of them, but currently he was the only one drinking.

"Have you thought about how you're going to meet this woman, Jai?" Annie asked, taking a sip of her Guinness. "I mean, if she's tucked up in such a high class hotel -"

"Yeah, that's the problem," Jai said, leaning his elbows on the table, concentrating. "I was thinking that - well, speak of the devil."

"Beg your pardon?" Auggie asked.

"She's here," Jai said, wondering at his good luck. "She just walked in."

"Are you sure it's her?" Annie said. Her back was to the door, and she didn't want to attract attention by craning her neck around.

"Her description matches what Adams described and the picture he provided of her," Jai said, smiling.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go turn on the charm," Auggie smirked.

Jai hesitated, his mind racing. He hadn't counted on his mark dropping into his lap so quickly, so to speak. This is doable, he thought. The mission called for him to get close to her, and as his eyes ran over her tall, curvy frame and long, black hair, he smiled to himself. He'd bedded complete strangers before, and as he watched her perch herself on a stool and motion to the bartender, his eyes narrowed at the thought. This is definitely doable.

Turning back to Annie and Auggie, he lowered his voice to a whisper. "I've got an idea. She came in alone, so I'm going to approach her. When I turn back to you guys, give you a signal, start embracing or something."

Auggie choked into his glass. "Excuse me?"

"Look, Anderson, we've only got a few days to finish this mission. Our cover is associates in town on business. I'm going to try to get her to invite me back to her place, but if I push too hard, she might back off. But if it looks like you two are in your own little world or whatever, it'll look like I'm on my own for the night and need a ride back to the hotel," Jai said quickly.

"But Jai-" Auggie started.

"Just do it, Anderson," Jai said exasperatedly, walking away.

"Auggie, scoot over a bit," Annie said. "I can't see the bar from here."

Auggie slid over to accommodate her, and swallowed hard as he felt her brush up against him. He wasn't sure what Jai's game was, but he scooted over a few more inches.

"Tell me what you see," he whispered to her.

"The same thing any time Jai decides to put the moves on a girl. I can't believe I almost fell for that," Annie said, chuckling.

"He is hard to resist," Auggie replied, taking a drink from his dark brew. "Keep going."

"They're just talking. Ooh, it seems as if that smile of his is working. He must have had a lot of practice doing this."

Auggie laughed, wondering if he should tell Annie some of the stories he'd heard of their lothario of a coworker.

"I can't hear what they're saying, but it looks like he's buying her a drink now. Geez, could that dress of hers be any more low cut?" Annie said.

After about 15 more minutes of Annie's detailed and somewhat caustic commentary on Jai's moves toward their mark, Auggie wondered how long it took for the man to make his move.

"Auggie? I think - yeah, they're standing. He's turning toward us. Quick, put your arms around me," Annie said, twisting in her seat to face him. She was startled, though, as Auggie's hands grasped her face. "Auggie, what are you -"

Her words were cut off as she felt his lips close in on hers. She squeaked a small protest and reflexively tried to pull away, but his grip on her was too strong, and he angled his head and pressed his lips against hers, melting any protest. As she softened in his embrace and wrapped her arms around him, she felt his lips gentle.

Auggie didn't know what had come over him to grab her like that when the situation called for only an embrace, but as he felt her arms wrap around his waist, he loosened his grip on her face, pulling away a scant inch from her soft lips before angling his head and kissing her again, her lips parting under his. She tasted of the dark beer they were both drinking, and his mind began to swim with the intoxicating feeling.

He felt her pull away from him, and he heard her say his name hesitantly. Reality slammed back into his brain, and he quickly let go of her, cursing himself.

"Have they left?" he asked, taking a deep breath to further clear his mind.

Annie, still reeling from their "embrace," blinked a few times. "What?" she whispered, still leaning against him, her arms on his waist.

"Jai," Auggie said. "Has he left with her?"

Turning her head, Annie glanced down at the now empty bar. "Yeah, they're gone. Auggie, what just -"

Auggie didn't let her finish, knowing he didn't have an answer for her. He'd crossed a line, he knew, but given the way she'd responded to his embrace, she wasn't unwelcoming. Now wasn't the time, though, to dwell on the ramifications of his hasty actions, and he quickly drained his glass, stood up and reached out his hand to her.

"Come on, we should get back to the hotel. Knowing Jai, he's probably headed to the Savoy right now."

Chapter 4

Annie sat in the window well of Auggie's hotel room, knees pulled up to her chest, looking out at the city. She'd opened the window and curiously wondered at the lack of a screen or railing around the ledge of their floor. Her curiosity, though, and train of thought were cut short at Auggie's deep sigh.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Huh? Oh, nothing. Just wondering why it's taking Jai so long to activate the transmitters."

She looked over at him: his face lit by the glow of his laptop, headphones over his ears, his tired eyes and the twist of his mouth as he worked his equipment. She smiled, and resting her head on her knees, allowed herself a moment to stare. She'd always found him mesmerizing, and on more than one occasion allowed herself to sit back and drink him in. She knew it wasn't fair to him and didn't allow herself to do so when they'd first met, out of respect and admiration. But now - now she couldn't help it. Something - something inexplicable was drawing her closer and closer to her best friend.

As he sat back in the stiff chair, Auggie flipped one earpiece up. "He's activated one of the bugs. It seems our boy has made his way into her room already."

"He is rather persuasive," Annie replied, chuckling, then stifled back a yawn. "You're going to have to monitor that for a while?"

"Yes, which, believe me, is not going to be pleasant," Auggie said, a look of disgust on his face. "I'm not looking forward to having to hear Jai and Miss Black gettin' it on, so to speak."

Annie laughed out loud. "If you want to take a break, I'll listen in for a while."

"That's okay, I doubt if Miss Black is going to give up her secrets right away, and I've got the transmissions recording."

"But you are going to have to stay up?" Annie asked.

"Yep. You can get some sleep, if you want. It's been a long day," Auggie said.

"No, I'll stay up with you," Annie said, reaching up to shut and lock the window. Sliding off the hard window ledge, she shut the curtains and laid on the bed, pulling her legs up and tucking her hands under her cheek.

Auggie wondered at her actions and leaned forward on the desk, resting his chin in his hands. She hadn't mentioned him kissing her, but he definitely felt her eyes on him ever since. He still didn't know what came over him to grab her like that, but now, thinking back, he wasn't sorry it happened. And he also knew it shouldn't ever happen again, if he planned on keeping her as a friend.

Even if his friend was now curled up on his bed in a small hotel room in a foreign city, lighting every nerve cell along his back with her gaze, he'd do his best to keep his hands off her. He groaned inwardly at the sudden thought. It was going to be a long night.

As the taxi pulled up in front of the Savoy entrance, Jai turned towards the woman to his right, who'd introduced herself to him as Marcy Piper. He let his eyes slide over her form, and when they reached hers, he smiled wide.

"I must thank you, Miss Piper, for giving me a lift back to my hotel. My colleagues, as you could see, were otherwise engaged, and I didn't relish the feeling of being a third wheel."

"No trouble, I'm sure. It's rather - fortuitous, is it not, that our hotels are so close to one another," she said softly.

"Yes, perhaps we can meet for drinks tomorrow. I'll be in town all week," Jai said, opening up his cab door. He then walked around and opened hers, taking her proffered hand as she slid her elegant legs out and stood next to him.

He looked up and across the street at the Strand Palace and groaned.

"What is it, Jai?""Those walls are rather thin, and our rooms are right next to each other," Jai said. "The way my colleagues were going at it, I might have to invest in some earplugs."

"Would - would you like to come up to my room?" she asked shyly.

Jai looked at her, concealing his sense of satisfaction into his trademark megawatt smile. "If you wouldn't mind, for a drink? At least until I'm sure they've settled in for the night."

"Of course," she said, hooking her hand into the crook of his arm as he presented it to her. Oh my, Jane Black thought to herself, he is strong. She hadn't realized it through the thickness of the suit jacket he wore, but as her fingers gripped into his bicep, she felt the muscle contract.

Perhaps this is what she needed after the deceitful betrayal of her lover, William. He'd been in her life for a full year when, a month ago, she'd started to suspect he had another. He'd started to spend too many nights away from her bed, and when she questioned him about it, he hemmed and hawed and promised he loved her. But he spent too many nights on the phone, too many nights hunched over that laptop computer of his, refusing to speak to her. But she knew his game. He had another lover, one that perhaps was more beautiful than she, more willing to engage in his wild sexual fantasies.

She'd foolishly thought that she could buy him with her money, but even as she lavished gifts on him, his betrayal increased. So she did the one thing she could think of doing. One night, as he slept in her bed, she inserted one of those gigabyte smartcards, they call them, into his computer and copied out all his information. She didn't know much about these types of things, but she'd seen on a television show once how you could wipe the entire memory off a computer with a couple pushes of the buttons.

So she did, and taking the smartcard and her purse, ran away. She made sure she didn't get too far, though. She would make him find her, and she would offer herself and her life to him in exchange for what he wanted back. It would work. It had to work.

And, as she let herself and her new lover into her hotel room, she thought, wouldn't it be delicious if William found her there tonight, in the arms of another man?

Jai stepped over the threshold of the suite, taking a few steps inside as she shut the door behind them. His eyes boggled at the elegance, a far cry from what was waiting for him across the street. He'd hardly had a chance to look around, though, as he felt a tug on his sleeve.

Jane stood beside him, her eyes glued to his, a predatory smile on her face. He raised his hand to stroke her cheek when he felt her push against his chest, rather hard. He stumbled a few steps, his back hitting the door.

"Marcy, what are you doing?" he asked, feigning a look of shock.

"Oh, my sweet dark angel, what do you think a woman is doing when she invites a man up to her room?" she asked, closing the distance between them. When only an inch separated their bodies, she looked up into his handsome, chiseled face. He was tall, she thought. So was she, but in her heels, their height nearly matched, and it took only a slight movement to brush her lips against his.

When he didn't respond, she thought perhaps he was playing hard to get. After all, it was he who approached her in that bar. She'd gone there to drink away her problems, but found him instead. Pressing her body more fully against his, she found out soon enough that his body responded well enough to her actions. Now to work on that nasty mind that was causing his lips to remain still beneath hers.

She kissed him again, but this time running her tongue over his bottom lip. That action used to cause William to melt like butter under her, and it seemed to work just as well on this man, as his mouth opened under hers.

Wrapping his arms around her willing body, Jai took willing what she gave, and returned it back, running his arms up her back and tangling his fingers in her long, dark flow of hair. As her body undulated against him, he groaned into her mouth and clenched his arms around her. His hands wound themselves in her hair, and he heard her gasp. Pulling back from her willing mouth, he loosened his grip on her, and she slid back away from his body.

Every nerve on her body tingling, Jane took a step back. "If you'll excuse me? I'll be right back."

Jai nodded, keeping the look of dazed passion on his face as she disappeared into the bathroom, shutting the door. Slipping his hand into his pocket, he pulled out the bugs Anderson had given him and quickly placed one on her phone and the other in a light sconce near her desk, activating them.

And now, he thought to himself, to find a way to excuse himself. Not only did he need to retrieve the smartcard, he needed to find out how much Jane Black knew. To get her to open up to him required a personal closeness that a quick tumble between the sheets wouldn't give.

Pulling out his cell, he sent a quick text to Annie. "Call me in 10 minutes."

He'd slid the phone back into his breast pocket and sat down on her couch. After another few minutes, the bathroom door opened, and she came out, her eyes searching around for him. When they lit on him sitting on the couch, she smiled and walked directly toward him, stepping out of her heels on the way.

When she'd reached him, Jai smiled as she sat on his lap, her legs straddling him. Her hands ran through his hair, and her lips trailed across his jawline to his ear, where she began licking and kissing. Jai clenched his fingers into her hips, causing the fabric of her already short dress to ride up her thighs.

A few minutes later, she had his shirt open and was doing marvelous things to his chest when his cellphone began ringing.

"Ignore it," Jane whispered into his ear.

"I can't, it could be work. I'm here on business, remember?" Jai whispered back into her neck. Keeping one hand splayed against her lower back, he held her against him as he pulled the phone out of his pocket and answered it.

"Hello?

Do you have any idea what time it is here?

Yeah, you're in California, I'm in London.

Okay, okay!

I'll get it right to you."

Hanging up the phone, Jai slid it back into his pocket.

"What was that, darling?" Jane whispered against the skin of his neck, pressing her body against his.

"That was my idiot of a boss who doesn't appreciate the fact that it's night time here. I've got to go."

"But we were just getting friendly," Jane said, pulling herself away from him.

"I know," Jai said, capturing her face between his hands and searing a kiss against her lips. "'Til tomorrow?"

Jane nodded and reluctantly slid off his lap.

Standing, Jai fished his wallet out of his pocket and opened it, withdrawing a business card. "Here's my number. Give me a call tomorrow?"

Plucking the card out of his fingers, Jane smiled, and reaching up, sealed her promise with a kiss. "'Til tomorrow, my dark angel."

Jai walked down the hallway of the seventh floor of the Strand Palace Hotel and knocked on room 716.

It opened slowly, and he saw Auggie framed in the doorway. "Jai?"

"Yeah, Anderson, it's me."

"I heard everything went well?" Auggie smirked.

"Just part of the job, Anderson. You should know, considering the way you and Annie went at it in the pub," Jai said. "Where is she, anyway? I need to ask her something."

"She's sleeping," Auggie said, opening the door further to show him Annie's form curled up on his bed. "She was exhausted and fell asleep just after she called you."

"When I said you two should pretend you're looking to get a room, I didn't mean for you to take it literally," Jai said, holding back a laugh.

"Very funny," Auggie whispered. "And if you don't keep your voice down, she's going to wake up."

"Okay, okay. I'll see you two in the morning," Jai said, smiling.

"Good night, Jai," Auggie said, closing the door. Making his way to the desk, he sat down in the chair and slid the headphones back over his ears. Once he was sure Miss Black couldn't give them anymore information, he thought, he'd slip over to Annie's room and catch a few hours of sleep.

At least that was the plan. His jet lagged, tired mind kept reliving the feel of Annie's lips on his, and he soon fell asleep, his head cradled in his arms on the desk, and his dreams full of her.

Chapter 5

With a sudden jerk, Annie awoke, momentarily disoriented by the odd position her body was in and the fact that she didn't have a blanket over her. Looking around the unfamiliar room, realization dawned on her where she was. The small bed creaked a bit as she sat up. The last thing she remembered was talking to Jai on the phone and telling Auggie he was on his way back, and then nothing. She must have fallen asleep. She was more exhausted than she realized.

Seeing him bent over the desk, head nestled in his arms, a niggle of embarrassment came over her as she realized she'd taken his bed. Checking the time, she saw that it was 2 in the morning. They'd been asleep half the night, and Auggie had been in that position for hours, in a hard-backed chair, headphones still over his ears.

Quietly getting off of the bed, she stood next to him, knowing she should wake him up, allow him to finish his sleep on the bed so he wouldn't be a walking human pretzel in the morning. But she also didn't want to startle him by suddenly touching him.

He also had those headphones still over his ears, so, gently, she slid one off and said in a loud whisper, "Auggie."

Nothing. The side of his face she could see showed him still breathing deeply, and by the movement of his eye under his eyelid, he was sound asleep. Raising her voice slightly louder, she said his name again, "Auggie."

He stirred slightly, and she saw his eyelid flutter. "Annie."

The deep timbre of his voice caused her breath to stop. She'd never heard him say her name like that before, and its seductive tone rattled her to the core. It brought back those few moments in the pub where he'd grabbed her face and kissed her. Shutting her eyes against the sudden thumping of her heart in her ribcage, she could again feel his lips against hers, twisting, begging for permission to enter.

Opening her eyes, she watched as her hand, almost of its own accord, reached out to him, wanting to find out if his hair felt as soft as it looked. As her fingertip touched the first strand, his eyes opened. Annie jerked her hand away guiltily, taking a shuddering breath.

"Annie?"

His voice was still soft, but clearer, and she took a step back from him. "Sorry I fell asleep on your bed. You - you can have it now. I'm going to go over to my room," Annie said, cursing her still erratically beating heart for causing her voice to sound unsure.

Blinking against the sudden awakeness, Auggie sat up, groaning as his back protested. He slid the headphones off his ears and then stretched his arms above his head.

"Did - did you hear anything more from Miss Black?" Annie asked.

Auggie shook his head. As the fuzz of sleep began to clear, the images came rushing back. Ever since Tikrit, his dreams had become much more clearer, as if his brain was battling, trying to force sight onto itself. Any dream he experienced was magnified tenfold. He'd managed to control the more recurring ones, but this one was new. He'd been back in in the pub. Annie had told him to put his arms around her, but instead, he'd grabbed her face and brought it to his.

But this time, instead of protesting, instead of pushing back at him that least little bit, instead of saying his name as a question, she'd whispered it like a lover. In his dream, she'd responded by climbing onto his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing him into oblivion.

He swore he could still feel her lips on his skin.

Standing, he leaned against the desk, breathing deeply, trying to shuffle the images to the back of his mind, but finding it difficult to do so. Part of him wanted to cling to those distorted images and sounds, and a low groan escaped his lips as the battle flared up again.

"Auggie?" Annie asked, softly as she heard him groan and clench the edges of the desk. The unnatural position he'd slept in must have twisted something in his muscles. "Is it your back?"

Taking a step forward, she reached a hand out to him, pressing her fingers to his shoulder, wrapping her hand around the smooth muscle. She heard him groan again. "Ohh, falling asleep on that desk was not a good idea. Why didn't you go over to my room? Or at least woken me up so you could have your bed?" Annie asked, placing both hands on his shoulder and pressing her fingers into the tightened muscle under his skin.

"Annie."

The deep timbre had returned and stopped her in her tracks. He hadn't moved; head still bent, knuckles still white as they clenched the edge of the desk. Slowly, without even realizing it, she eased on the pressure she was applying to his shoulder. Her fingers slid over the soft cotton material of the t-shirt he wore, outlining the edges of his muscle.

He'd almost won the war with his mind when she placed her hands on him. And now, as the touch gentled, and her soft fingers caressed his shoulder, he harshly reminded himself that what he wanted to do, right then and there, was not right, was not fair to either of them.

He wasn't even sure she knew what she was doing to him. His knowledge of her feelings were hazy, at best. A cup of coffee out of nowhere, visits to his office for no reasons, the offer to stay up with him on a late stakeout - all innocuous, best friend duties. But she had wrapped her arms around him in the pub, his mind echoed at him. She had returned his kiss, if only after the briefest moment of restraint. And now - now her hands glided across his skin, much like they did in his dream.

Standing up suddenly, he said, more gruffly than he meant to, "I'm fine, Annie, thanks." Her hands jerked back from him, and he heard her take a step back. A cold wave splashed over him at the release of that warmth.

Forcing a gentle smile on his face and the usual friendly tone to his voice, he turned to her. "And I've fallen asleep at more desks than I care to remember."

"Not while I'm on assignment, I hope?" Annie laughed, walking past him to their connecting door.

"Of course not. What kind of best friend would that make me?"

"Good night, Auggie," Annie whispered, closing the door behind her.

"Sweet dreams," Auggie whispered, as the door shut. Taking a deep breath, he laid down on the bed, not bothering to pull the blanket over himself. Damn, he thought. He could smell her scent on the fabric. This was going to be a very long night.

Chapter 6

"Okay, next meeting, I'm buying the food," Jai groaned, slurping the last of his soda out of the paper cup. "This hotel does come with room service, doesn't it, Annie?"

When she didn't respond, Jai shifted where he sat on Auggie's bed and glanced at her. She sat in the window well - apparently her preferred spot now - back against the wall with her knees drawn up to her chest. Her eyes were slightly glazed and focused away from him, across the room. Jai followed her gaze to the desk on the other side of the wall, where Auggie sat in front of the laptop, eating his own lunch of french fries and a cheeseburger.

Auggie didn't seem aware of her scrutiny, or if he did, he hid it well. It was difficult to gauge the man's reactions, and not just because of his unexpressive eyes. He possessed a self-control that years of military and then government service would ingrain in anyone.

When, after another minute of silence, nothing changed the burgeoning tension, Jai suddenly lobbed his now empty soda container across the room to the trash can. The sudden clatter made both of them jump.

"Hope you guys slept well last night. I'm expecting a call from our mark anytime now," Jai said, looking at the both of them closely.

"Yeah," Annie said, tearing her eyes off Auggie and turning towards Jai. "Slept like a baby. These beds aren't as uncomfortable as they look."

"How about you, Auggie? Didn't fall asleep on your laptop again, did you?" Jai asked, coolly.

"I'm fine, Jai," Auggie said.

"Uh-huh," Jai replied, noting how Auggie's voice suddenly dropped a couple octaves. His fingers were gripping his soda container rather tightly. Jai wasn't sure what happened last night, but both their demeanors seemed somewhat subdued and full of tension.

Had they been home, he thought, he'd use the knowledge he had to throw them together and see what happened, but now was not the time. He had an opt to finish.

"Good, so since we're all fed and well-rested, let's concentrate on why we're here. Jane Black. From my meeting with her, I've come to the conclusion that she's not all she appears to be."

"What do you mean," Annie asked.

"She's beautiful, seductive, is wealthy, but she also was trolling a local pub, alone, and willing to take the first businessman she met home," Jai said.

"Maybe it's just your good looks," Annie teased.

Rolling his eyes at her, Jai continued, "She seems a bit unstable to me. Not from anything she said, but just how she acts. Desperate, almost. It just makes you wonder, what on earth could have happened to this woman? Adams said he was involved with her for a year. She was attentive to him, took care of him, but over the past month or two, he said, she became possessively jealous, almost to the point of paranoia."

"Do you think she's undercover, too? Or working for somebody?" Auggie asked.

"Difficult to tell at this point. She is intriguing, though. An anomaly of sorts. Perhaps tonight I'll get her to talk more," Jai said.

Auggie raised his eyebrows at Jai's tone of voice. "Intriguing? Jai, she stole an undercover CIA officer's intel, wiped his computer clean and disappeared. She's not an anomaly. She's a criminal."

"I don't think so," Jai said softly.

Cocking his head to the side, Auggie couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Jai, come on. You're only supposed to make them fall in love with you, not the other way around."

Jai didn't answer. After a minute, he was startled out of his reverie by his cellphone ringing. Plucking it out of his pocket, he saw the caller ID. "It's her. I'm gonna put it on speakerphone. You two, be quiet."

Holding the phone out in his hand, Jai answered, "Hello?"

"Good afternoon, my sweet dark angel," a cultured, feminine voice said.

Annie's eyebrows rose at the endearment, and Auggie had to fight back a laugh.

Shooting them both a dirty look, Jai replied, "Well, hello, sweetheart. I was hoping you'd call."

"It isn't too early, is it? Are you still working?"

"Good news, I'm done for the day," Jai said.

"Mm, just what I was hoping to hear. It's rather lonely over here, and I was hoping we could pick up where we left off."

"Sounds good to me. Give me an hour?"

"I'll tell the doorman to expect you. You do remember my room number, don't you?"

"How could I forget it? I'll see you soon."

"Until then, angel."

As soon as Jai clicked the phone closed, Annie dissolved into a fit of giggles. "Oh, my god, did she call you her 'sweet dark angel'?" she asked, wiping her eyes.

"Can it, Walker," Jai said. "And you, too, Anderson. I can see your shoulder shaking."

"Who, me?" Auggie asked. "I've heard you called worse."

"Uh-huh. Listen, it's 3:00. I'll be over there at 4. Auggie, you'll be monitoring. Annie, if you'd listen in, give me your opinion of her, as well? Good, I'll see you later," Jai said, and not bothering to hear their response, stood and left.

When the door slammed shut, Annie let loose with a loud laugh. "Guess we shouldn't have made fun of him, huh?" she asked.

"He deserves it," Auggie said, smiling at her. "Did you hear him talk about her? Seems our Agent Wilcox is smitten."

"Hardly. Jai doesn't seem the type to get smitten," Annie said, sliding out of the window well. "He's gonna be over there in an hour, he said?"

"Yep, 4:00, on the dot," Auggie replied.

"Then I'll be back then," Annie said. Walking past him toward the door, she let her hand graze his shoulder. "Need to do some work myself."

"See you then," Auggie replied, reminding himself again as the inner door between their rooms shut, that not every touch of her hand sent a warmth down his spine. Though, every time he did, the words seemed hollow in his mind.

Three hours later, Annie and Auggie sat in silence, listening in on Jai's date. Annie had perched herself on the desk, headphones on, and Auggie sat on the chair.

Slipping one earpiece off, Annie touched Auggie on his forearm. He flinched at first, but then slid one of the earpieces back.

"What?"

"Is he going to do something soon? All they're doing is eating and talking about Jai's so-called business dealings he's doing over here," Annie whispered.

"Welcome to the wonderful world of monitoring," Auggie replied. "12 hours of listening to prattle for five minutes of intel."

"I don't see how you do this every day," Annie said, replacing the earpiece. And, she thought, she was glad she had.

_So tell me, Marcy, how does a beautiful woman like you not have a boyfriend?_

_I did, once. He was the love of my life._

_Was? Did something happen?_

_Please, darling, tonight should be about us, not about my failings._

_But I'm interested in you, Marcy, and more than a little flabbergasted how anyone, once they had you, could ever let you go._

_You are too wonderful, my sweet dark angel. You would never cheat on me, I know. The man, if you can call him that, told me he loved me, then tore my heart apart._

_I'm sorry to hear that._

_But I got my revenge. He won't soon forget me, and if he dares enter my life again, I will prove to him that I am not some toy to be trifled with._

_You, my dear, are a genius. This man doesn't deserve you. May I ask, what your revenge entailed?_

_Don't you worry your handsome head about that. You will never feel the sting of my darker side._

_But you intrigue me. I'd really like to know._

_Ahh, I can see your interest. I tell you what, if I tell you, will you promise to never leave me?_

_Never, my sweet._

_Come closer. I believed - no, I knew he had another woman. He would never admit to it, but I knew. The phone calls, the late nights, and that damn computer._

_Computer? What do you mean, did he meet her online?_

_I never found out. But he would never let me touch his laptop computer, not even to look over his shoulder as he worked. And one day -_

_One day?_

_I am still amazed at my own bravado and cunning. Do you know those card things you put into the computers? I stole all of his information from that computer, then I wiped it clean._

_Oh, you are a devious one. And smart, as well as beautiful. What did you do with all that information?_

_I have kept it. I plan to use it as leverage should he ever find me again. Now, enough about me, darling. Tonight, as I said, is about us. Come here. It has been too long since I have felt those lips against mine._

Wow, Annie thought. So their mark wasn't a foreign agent or undercover spy. She was simply a spurned lover whom Officer Adams had clearly underestimated. Then, as the sounds through the headphones became clear to her, she slid them off.

"Umm, I guess they're -" She stuttered.

Auggie smiled, "Yeah, I guess they are."

"Are you going to listen to it?" Annie asked.

"As much as I'd like to follow protocol, I don't think I will," Auggie said, sliding his own headphones down onto his neck. It was one thing to know the details of an operation, but still another to hear another man making love to a woman, he thought.

"What if Jai finds out?"

"Jai's a big boy, and I'm sure he would appreciate the fact that we weren't listening in. We heard enough to understand she's not an immediate threat to him. But I will keep the transmissions recording, and if Jai runs into trouble, he can call us," Auggie said, sitting back in his chair.

"I seriously didn't think he'd sleep with her," Annie said, sliding off the hard desk. Stretching her aching muscles, she sat on Auggie's bed. "Did you?"

"It's the job, Annie," Auggie said, standing up out of the unforgiving chair and joining her. "Surely you knew that going in."

"Flirting and lying is one thing. But to do what he's doing? I don't think I'd ever be able to do that," Annie said.

"You did once," Auggie said quietly.

"What? No, I haven't," Annie said indignantly.

"Maybe not the sex part, but you did kiss me the other night in the pub," Auggie said, trying but failing to keep his voice light.

"Uhh, you were the one who grabbed me, if I recall correctly," Annie replied, somewhat unbelievingly.

"Only after you insisted I put my arms around you,. I was just trying to make it believable."

"You did that, all right," Annie said softly. "But that's different."

As the tone of her voice went quiet, Auggie leaned closer. He'd promised himself he wouldn't push her, that he'd be sure of what was happening between them before he'd do anything, but he'd felt his eyes on her all day, and after such a sleepless night, he needed to know.

"Different how, Annie?" he asked, matching her quiet tone.

As she opened her mouth to reply, Annie looked up at him. The same pull that compelled her to return his kiss yesterday was still there. What the hell was happening to her, she thought. Never before had she had such a strong attraction to a man, and the feeling scared her. The fact that he was her best friend and the one person in the world she trusted completely caused her to hesitate in replying. How could he expect an answer when she didn't even know what it was?

"I don't konw, Auggie. I know that doesn't make any sense, but truly, I don't know. It's just different."

Reaching up, she placed her hand against his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into the caress.

Though she longed to pull him closer, to relive those blissful moments when his mouth opened under hers, she knew she couldn't. Not now, not until she knew what was happening. She couldn't risk losing him.

Standing up, she reluctantly let her hand slip from his face. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

Nodding, Auggie said, "Good night, Annie."

Chapter 7

Annie stepped out of the shower the next morning and reached for the towel she'd placed on the counter. She wrapped one around herself and grabbed another, setting about towel-drying her hair. Reaching for the hotel-provided dryer, she stopped, catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her hair hung in soft waves around her face, and she decided to let her hair dry naturally today.

She was standing at her closet, towel still wrapped around her ten minutes later, trying to decide which of her dwindling supply of clean outfits to wear when there was a knock at her door.

"Yes?" she said loudly, hitching the towel wrapped around her closer.

"Room service."

"I didn't order anything, you must have the wrong room," Annie said, turning again toward her suitcase.

A soft knock preceded the opening of the inner door, "No, it's the right room. I thought I'd treat you to breakfast," Auggie said, walking in. Turning, he opened the other door.

"Thank you," he said, taking the tray. Balancing it carefully in one hand, he shut the door and turned around. "I don't know about you, but I thought some real food was in order for once."

He'd shifted his hands on the tray, grasping it on the sides and taken two steps when he heard her voice.

"Auggie?"

He stopped, wondering at the odd tone.

"What's wrong? Not in the mood for eggs and juice?" he asked, a half-smirk on his face.

"No, it's just -" Annie said, fingers clutching at the towel. "I - I just got out of the shower. I'm not dressed yet."

Auggie tried and failed to mask his reaction at this. As the image of her standing in front of him wrapped in nothing but a towel - or less - flashed across his brain, he quickly swallowed and shook his head. "Ohh, sorry. Didn't realize - I thought you had been up for a while - I mean, I was listening for -"

Annie stepped forward and grabbed the tray he was holding, effectively stopping his stuttering. As their fingers grazed she saw his grip clench to the point of his knuckles whitening. She looked up at his face and saw uncertainty and -

She swallowed as she recognized the flash of desire as it crossed his face. Unconsciously allowing her fingers to caress his hand once again, she watched with fascination as his breath hitched. Unwilling to tear her gaze from his face, she repeated the gesture.

Auggie silently groaned as he felt her slight touch on the back of his hand. Jesus, did she realize what she was doing to him? he thought. Steeling himself against her touch and the the image, he relaxed his grip on the tray, allowing her to take it from him.

"If you want to go and get dressed, I'll wait here," he said unsteadily, walking over to the bed and sitting down.

Pulling herself out of the heat of her thoughts, Annie took a deep breath and set the tray on the bed beside him. Then, without a word, she grabbed a handful of clothes out of her suitcase and went into the bathroom to get dressed.

Auggie used the few minutes he had alone to gather himself. It was becoming more and more difficult to hide his growing attraction to her. The current scenario they'd found themselves in only added fuel to the fire. Had they still been back in the U.S., he'd been able to test his theory about her growing attentiveness to him by asking her out on a date. They'd go out maybe a couple times before he'd gather the nerve to kiss her. Perhaps she'd kiss him back. He'd be able to take it slow.

But now - now that was impossible. He'd had a taste of her before he had even held her hand. And though he was almost certain of her feelings toward him, he wasn't altogether sure. He wanted much more than a tumble between the sheets with her, and should he push any further, not only would he risk never experiencing that, he'd lose her friendship, as well.

Taking a deep breath, he turned on the bed toward the room service tray. He was taking his first drink of the orange juice when he heard the bathroom door open.

"You better have ordered something other than eggs, Auggie," Annie said. "I could have gotten those down the street."

Smiling wide at the sound of her light laugh, Auggie teased, "Yes, but since when does McDonald's offer breakfast in bed?"

She laughed again, and Auggie relaxed, delighting in the sound. Whatever happened between them on this trip would never equal to the sound of her laughter. She settled on the other side of the bed, and he handed her a glass of orange juice.

A content smile on his face, Jai walked down the hallway to his hotel room. At the sound of his coworkers' laughter coming from Annie's room, he stopped short.

He knocked on their door and announced himself, entering as he heard Annie say it was open. The scene before him made his smile widen. Annie and Auggie sat on her bed, a room service tray laid out between them. They were both happy and smiling. Annie looked - different. Her hair, normally straight and bouncing around her shoulders in soft curls or pulled back off her face hung in soft waves.

Well, he thought to himself, perhaps I won't have to intervene between these two after all. He walked in and sat at the desk, snatching a piece of toast off of the tray.

"Well, Jai?" Annie asked. "Were you successful?"

"I beg your pardon?" Jai choked.

"The smartcard," Annie asked, smiling as he swallowed down the bite of toast.

"Uhh, no, no," Jai replied. "I do know she still has it, and - you were listening in, weren't you?"

"Yeah, but once you - well, you know - we decided to give you some privacy," Annie said.

Smiling wide, Jai chuckled. "So you didn't -"

"No, Jai," Auggie said. "We didn't listen to you having sex."

"Auggie!" Annie admonished.

"Well, we didn't."

"Okay, okay," Jai said, moving to change the topic. "Auggie, have you heard anything over the past few days that might hint at where we should look?"

Auggie shook his head, "It's been quiet. She doesn't receive phone calls, she's had no visitors other than you, and she doesn't talk to herself."

"Okay, then," Jai said, standing up. "I said I'd meet her for lunch today. Hopefully I can find out more. We're running out of time, as it is."

"I'll go back over the recordings, see if I missed anything," Auggie said.

"Good. See you both later, then," Jai said, as he left the room.

"Oh, my goodness, a picnic in the park," Jane Black said, worryingly. "I wish you could have told me earlier. I would have dressed more appropriately."

Jai smiled as he walked with her, hand-in-hand, through the grass. He'd picked up lunch on the way to her hotel, but didn't tell her where they were headed until they entered the park. The scene was idyllic, and he found himself enjoying her company. As he led her to a spot under a tree, he smiled as she let herself down onto the grass, carefully removing her shiny pumps and laying them to the side. My God, he thought, she was beautiful. The short black dress she wore for their lunch was more suited for a high class restaurant, where she obviously thought they were headed. But as she sat there, gazing up at him, he thought she'd look at home anywhere in the world.

"Just wanted to get out in the open for a while. I hope you don't mind," Jai said, sitting next to her and removing the contents of the bag.

"As long as you are by my side, I wouldn't mind if we were eating lunch on the North Pole," Jane said, reaching over and kissing him soundly.

After they finished eating, Jane lay on her side, her head nestled in Jai's lap. He caressed her face, tucking her hair behind her ear. If only every mission were this easy, he thought. As the real reason for his being there sank into his thoughts, he took a deep breath. Yes, he was there for a reason, and though at the moment he wanted to chuck it all and pull her into his embrace, he knew he couldn't.

"So, my beautiful seductress, I take it you've never had a picnic before?"

"No, sadly. My former beau insisted on eating in restaurants or partaking in those vile takeout concoctions. But this is much nicer, I find."

"He really didn't know what he was missing, huh? Do you think he'll find you again? I mean, after what you did, I'm sure he's looking for you."

"Don't you worry about that, angel. If he does go looking for what I've taken from him, he will have to deal with me first."

"What do you mean?"

Smiling up at him through her unfairly long lashes, Jane said, "Because I keep the smartcard with me at all times. I didn't leave a difficult trail for him to follow, and once he does find me, he may just sneak into my room and steal it. But that's not how I've planned this final scene."

Patting the small purse on her hip where it hung by a long, gold chain, she said, "I will return his information only when he will look me in the eye and beg me for forgiveness."

Jai's eyes dilated at the realization that she'd had the smartcard with her the whole time. The agent part of him wanted to just rip the purse off her shoulder and run back to the U.S., joyous in victory. However, as she moved her hand off the purse and reached up to his face, trailing her fingers along his jawline, he hesitated.

Seeing the discomfort in her lover's face, Jane sat up off of his lap. "Oh, dear. It seems my talk of my former conquest has upset you. Don't you worry, darling. I am yours now, and you are mine."

As she lowered her face to his, Jai placed his hands around her face, losing himself in her embrace.

At their meeting later that night in Auggie's room, Jai sat on the bed, subdued.

Annie watched him from her seat in the window well, wondering when he was going to give them an update on the situation. He seemed deep in thought, and she was getting worried.

"Jai?" she asked. "Is everything all right?"

Jai took a deep breath before he answered, not meeting her eyes. "She's got the smartcard on her, keeps it in her purse," he said quietly.

Annie clapped her hands, "Yay! Congratulations, Jai."

Auggie spoke up from his seat at the desk, "Good work, man. Guess it won't be any problem slipping it out of there when she excuses herself to the bathroom or something, huh?"

When Jai didn't answer, Annie looked over at him. "Jai? This is good news, right? I mean, all we came here to do was make sure she wasn't a threat and retrieve the intel. Is there something you're not telling us?"

"What if -" Jai started, looking at Annie. "What if I tell her the truth?"

"What truth, Jai?" Auggie asked, turning towards him.

"The truth about why I'm here, why I'm interested in her former boyfriend. Once she finds out, she'd be relieved, I think. She trusts me. I think she'll return the smartcard once she realizes it's all been a big misunderstanding."

"She trusts you?" Auggie said, incredulously. "She doesn't even know you. All she knows is you're an American in town on business. What have you said to her to make her believe anything other than that?"

"Nothing, I've said nothing," Jai said, exasperated. "Look, I just don't like lying to her like this. She's been hurt enough as it is."

"She's a mark, Jai, and you're a CIA officer, sent here to get close to her to retrieve a smartcard," Auggie said harshly.

"Oh, get off your high horse, Anderson. What do you know about it?" Jai said, turning towards the man.

"I've been listening to the way you talk to her, over the bugs you planted in her room. At first I just thought you wer laying it on thick, but you've really fallen for her, haven't you?" Auggie asked.

"Of course not," Jai said, standing up. "I just -"

"Spies aren't supposed to fall in love with their marks, Jai," Auggie said, standing, as well. "Or hasn't your previous family history taught you anything at all?"

Jai's hands clenched at his sides, fighting the urge to wipe that smile off of Auggie's face with a well-placed right cross. "You know nothing about my family, Anderson," Jai said, low and dangerous. "And before you start spouting off about others' actions, I should remind you that Joan probably wouldn't take too kindly to her handlers falling in love with their agents, either."

Auggie's teeth clenched, "What do you mean?"

Taking a step forward so he was only a foot from him, Jai said, "I've watched the two of you all week here. Hell, I wasn't surprised to see you both in her room this morning. Before you start preaching to me what's appropriate or not, you should look at yourself, first."

Stalking past him, Jai opened the door. "I'll retrieve the card tomorrow," he said before slamming his way out of the room.

Annie sat frozen to the spot, flabbergasted at what just happened. Auggie stood there, his chest heaving, his fists clenched by his side.

"Auggie? What did you mean by Jai's previous family history? I mean, surely he hasn't really fallen for this woman, right? Surely he won't tell her the truth."

Taking a deep breath to calm his anger, Auggie focused his attention back on Annie. "I told you, remember, about his father and mother? History is reliving itself."

"Ohh," Annie said, thinking back to a year ago when Auggie'd informed her of Henry Wilcox's falling for Jai's mother when he was undercover. "I think he just feels sorry for this woman, though. He's smart enough to realize he can't tell her the truth."

"Hopefully, you're right. We'll find out tomorrow, won't we?" Auggie said, a half smile coming to his face.

Remembering back to Jai's other remark, Annie looked across the room at Auggie. "And what did he mean by handlers not allowed to fall in love with their agents? What was he talking about?"

"He was just angry at me, Annie, for calling him out," Auggie said quietly.

"Ohh," Annie said. "I just thought - okay then."

Hearing the dejected tone of her voice, Auggie felt a sharp tug in his chest, and his resolve melted. Knowing he shouldn't, knowing he should wait until they finished the mission and returned home before he made any kind of move toward her, he felt himself walking the few steps over to where she was in the window.

As his hand lifted and lightly touched her hair, Annie sighed at the caress, placing her hand on his wrist. His hand glided down to outline her jaw, and she was transported back to that magical moment a few nights ago. She'd wanted so hard to believe that he kissed her that night because he wanted to, and not just for the mission, but as he hadn't made a move toward her again all week, she'd started to believe she misinterpreted his actions.

But now, as his other hand joined the first, framing her face, she knew she was wrong. He didn't say a word, only leaned down towards her, his eyes half-closed, and placed a tentative, unsure kiss on her lips.

She moaned at the sweet caress, and as he heard that sound, Auggie repeated it, brushing his lips across hers twice more before leaning back away from her.

Suddenly upset at the loss of the contact between them, Annie opened her eyes to see him a few inches away from her face. His hands still gripped her jaw, and he seemed to be giving her a choice, not wanting to force his way onto her.

"Auggie," she breathed, "please."

That small endearment was all the answer Auggie needed as he closed the space between them again and kissed her like he had that first night. Her lips once again parted beneath his, and as he angled her head underneath his mouth, he delved inside, wanting to taste every inch of her.

She soon reciprocated, and he groaned as her tongue found its way into his own mouth, stroking his bottom lip. He felt her arms snake their way up his chest and around his neck, and he pulled her out of the window well to her feet, never breaking contact with her mouth.

Standing on tiptoe, Annie ran her hands through his hair, striving to bring him closer to her. She heard him groan into her mouth, and she felt her knees start to buckle under her.

As their breathing became more ragged, he pulled away from her, but kept his hands where they were, stroking her cheek and sliding down her neck to her shoulders.

She was having a hard time catching her breath, as well, resting her forehead on his shoulder. "Auggie?" she whispered.

"Yeah?"

"I think I've figured out why kissing you the other night is different than kissing a mark during a mission."

Auggie laughed, wrapping his arms around her back, "So have I. And though I would love to-"

Annie lifted her head off his chest and smiled, "We should wait."

Auggie nodded, "I don't want to, God knows, but we are on a mission. And when I-" Auggie closed his eyes at the thought of laying her down and finishing what they started, but he knew it wouldn't be what she deserved. He wanted to do this right, and his idea of making love to her in a small hotel room seemed wrong, somehow. "Until we get back home?"

"Yes," Annie said, reluctantly stepping back out of his embrace. "Good night," she said, kissing him once more, leaving them both breathless, as she made her way back to her room.

Chapter 8

Friday morning, Auggie thought as he settled himself on the hard desk chair in his hotel room. Soon they'd all be winging their way back home. Case was wrapping up, and as soon as Jai pulled his head out of the clouds and retrieved the smartcard, he could concentrate on other, more important things that had suddenly taken precendence in Auggie's world.

As if she had read his mind, he heard a soft knock at their inner door, and he called out, "Come in, Annie."

"Just wanted to make sure you were decent," Annie said, a hint of teasing her voice. She had spent a restless night in her room, knowing he was just on the other side, a few feet away. Of all the times to find out the man you've been secret coveting for months returned your feelings, it had to be on a mission. But, she reminded herself, she wasn't even aware of the depths of those feelings until last night, when he'd let his guard down, and she saw her own attraction mirrored on his face and through his touch.

"And what if I weren't?" Auggie asked.

"I'd probably do the same thing I'm about to do now, except be blushing the entire time," Annie said, walking up behind him and placing her hands on his shoulders. Leaning down, she brushed her lips just below his ear.

"Annie."

"Ahh, there it is," Annie whispered in his ear.

"There what is?" Auggie asked, whitening his knuckles as his hands clenched together.

"That sound, the way you said my name," Annie said, pressing another kiss against his neck before straightening up. "Two nights ago, when you fell asleep at your desk, and I was trying to wake you up. You said my name like that in your sleep. What were you dreaming about?" Annie asked, gliding her hands across his shoulders, memorizing every line and curve of his muscles beneath the grey shirt.

Auggie closed his eyes as the brilliant images flashed again his mind. He'd tried so hard then to release them, but now - now they could become a reality, and he smiled with anticipation. "Kissing you in the bar."

"Oh, really?" Annie asked, teasingly.

"Yes, only this time we didn't stop at one kiss," Auggie said.

Annie's hands froze on his shoulders. "We - we didn't?" she said huskily.

"Yes, this time I pulled you onto my lap and -"

The sudden knock on the door froze them both. Annie sprung away from Auggie as if she'd been burned.

"Auggie, it's Jai."

"Come in, just getting set up," Auggie said loudly.

Jai opened the door and walked in, taking in the scene with an arched eyebrow. Auggie sat at the desk, setting up his laptop and monitoring equipment, and Annie was in her usual perch in the window well.

Both their faces, however, were flushed and full of secrets. "I didn't interrupt anything, did I?" he asked, chuckling.

"No, Jai, I just got here," Annie said. "Have - have you decided what to do with Jane?"

Sighing heavily, Jai sat on Auggie's bed. "Don't worry, Annie. I know my job. I won't do anything to disrupt the mission."

"I didn't think you would," Annie said. "It's just -"

"Think of it as a flight of fancy," Jai said with a note of finality in his tone. "She knows I'm leaving town tomorrow, so I told her I'd finish up the work I needed to do last night so we can have today to be together. Now, to keep things neat and tidy, I'm going to retrieve the card in her hotel room so you can monitor."

Auggie nodded, placing his headphones over his ears, and passing his fingers over the Braille keyboard. His motions stopped, however, when he felt a large hand clap onto his shoulder. Knowing the feel of Annie's tender caress, he knew it was Jai. The hand clasped strongly and then patted his shoulder twice before releasing. The sound of footsteps retreating and his door closing followed.

"Guess that's his way of saying 'no hard feelings'?" Annie asked.

"Yep," Auggie said, smiling and resuming his work.

Steeling himself, Jai took a deep breath as he stood in front of her hotel room door. Then, placing the patented megawatt smile on his face, he knocked.

The door opened slowly to reveal Jane wearing a white silk nightgown that covered her from her chest to her feet. Her arms were the only bare skin visible, but the material clung to her curvaeous figure.

"Hello there, my sweet dark angel. I missed you last night. But thankfully, you have the rest of the day to make it up to me," she purred, standing to the side to let Jai in.

"I am going to miss you, Marcy," Jai said, walking into the room. "And this! I swear, I'm not sure I'm going to be able to go back to sleeping on cotton sheets."

"Then don't," Jane said, walking up to him and capturing his hand.

"Don't what?" Jai asked, perplexed.

"Don't go. Stay here, with me," she said, a tinge of desperateness in her voice.

"I have a job, Marcy, responsibilities," Jai said, smiling at her.

"All very noble attributes, but they only serve one purpose - to earn money. You wouldn't need any of that if you promised to stay here with me," she whispered, pressing her body against his and her lips against his throat. Her long, elegant fingers began to unbutton his shirt.

"You have to admit, the woman does put up quite an argument," Auggie said, leaning back in his chair. "Wonder if she'd mind having a personal assistant." He felt a stinging slap against his upper arm. "Ow! What was that for? I'm only saying -"

"I know what you were 'only saying,'" Annie said, laughing. "And if you think I'm letting that well-dressed bimbo sink her claws into you, you've got another thing coming."

"Well-dressed bimbo? Is that any way to talk about the future Mrs. Wilcox?" Auggie said, joining in her laughter.

"I'd say it'd be more like the future Mr. Black, knowing her," Annie said, re-settling herself on the corner of the desk. "Oh, dear Lord, they're going at it again," she moaned.

"You don't have to listen, if you don't want to," Auggie said, patting her on the thigh gently.

"Just - just turn down the volume a bit," Annie said, sighing. "This is going to be a long day."

Jai sighed as he sat on the edge of the bed. He hadn't planned on having sex with Jane again, but her purse was nowhere in sight, and she hadn't left his side since he entered the room. Frowning, he thought of Annie and Auggie across the street, listening in. If they made one comment about what they heard to him when he returned -

"Jai?"

"Hmm?" he asked, turning around to face her.

"You know I love you, my sweet, but I do have other appetites to fill. Would you mind very much if we went out to get something to eat?"

Still smiling, Jai pondered her request. His thought was to keep her in the room so he could search for the card, but as he hadn't had any luck so far in finding it, he'd have to change tactic.

"Sounds great, Marcy. Uh-uh," he said, as she started to rise from the sheets. "Let me pick something for you to wear."

Jane raised her eyebrow at this. "You know best, darling."

Winking at her, Jai stood, grabbing his pants and sliding back into them. He picked up his shirt from the floor as he made his way to her large oversized closet. Shrugging it over his shoulders, he was taking in the contents of several racks of dresses and shelves lined with shoes when he saw it.

Her purse, lying on the floor, its jeweled strap glinting at him in the light. He couldn't believe his luck and quickly picked it up and opened it. A wallet full of $100 bills was inside, along with a compact mirror, a lipstick, and - ahh, there it was. A small velvet sack. Pulling the small string, he opened it and found the smartcard. He quickly slid it into his pocket and was replacing the compact and wallet when he heard a high-pitched screech behind him.

"Marcy, what the -"

"You, you animal, how could you betray me like this!" Jane screamed, clutching the sheet around her. "I offered you everything! A life of never wanting for anything, and yet you steal from me!"

Jai stood, raising his hands defensively, "Marcy, you misunderstand -"

"I misunderstand nothing, you viper!" Marcy screamed, hysteria rising in her voice. "I gave you my heart, my body! I tell you I love you, and this is how you reciprocate my feelings! How could you just throw that away! How could you throw away love?"

"Marcy," Jai pleaded, "You know I have feelings for you. You're everything I've ever dreamed of."

His protestations went on deaf ears as she pulled a dress roughly off its hanger and slid it over her body, the sheet falling to the ground. "You are just like William! But at least he had the decency to not steal from me!"

Picking up her wallet from the floor where Jai dropped it, she pulled out the bills. "Here! If this is all you love, then take it! I'm sure cold paper will keep you warmer! Although I doubt it as it seems your heart is made of stone!" she screamed and threw the money at him.

"Get out of here!" she screamed. "Take the money and get out of here! I'm sure you can use it to buy some cheap whore down the street!"

"Marcy, please," Jai said, taking a step toward her.

"Don't touch me," she said icily. "Leave. Now. Or I will not be responsible for what happens next."

At the dangerous tone of her voice, Jai dropped his hands to his sides and left, picking up his jacket and shoes as he did.

As the door shut, Janet let out a primal scream and burst into tears, falling to her knees. Her sweet dark angel was gone. He was just like all the rest. What could possibly be wrong with her that they keep leaving?

Nothing, a voice in her mind protested. Nothing is wrong with you. They're the problem. They've always got such sweet, flowery words and soft hands, but they never keep their promise. They're never satisfied. He's probably got another woman, just like William had.

Another woman, Jane thought. He never mentioned another woman. Surely I would have known.

But how could you know, her mind protested. You've only known him for a few days. He's been in town on business with his coworkers for only a week.

Coworkers, Jane thought, blinking, her mind in a blur. She remembered back to the night when she'd met her so-called angel. There had been a woman and a man in a booth. The woman, a very pretty blonde, was in the man's arms. She had thought her very loose at the time, to be nearly in the lap of a man in full view of the public like that.

That had to be it, she thought. He spoke of how hard he worked, and that he couldn't be with her all week because he had projects to complete and meetings to attend. Meetings with that blonde woman. He was probably stealing the money to give it to her, to try to pry her out of the arms of the other man.

How dare she treat her angel so! How dare she crawl into the lap of one man while plying her Jai with the same promises of love?

Oh, my sweet Jai, she thought, if only you had told me what she was doing to you? I would have saved you from her! But now he was going back to her, back to that bitch who thought she could steal her angel from her.

Standing, Jane wiped the tears from her face. Jai had once told her his room number at the hotel, complaining how small it was, and how thin the walls. So thin, he could hear her in the next room.

She'd find that woman, she thought. And when she did, she'd make sure that she was never able to break anyone's heart ever again. After all, what man would desire a woman with a few missing teeth and scars on her face?

Grabbing her purse and slipping her feet into a nearby pair of heels, she ran out of her room.

Chapter 9

Annie slid her headphones off, mouth hanging open at what she had just heard. Jane's screams still echoed in her ears. She had snapped from a smooth-talking seductress offering the world on a string to a hysterical, screeching hellcat.

"Holy crap," Auggie said, shaking his head. "Didn't see that coming. Do you think Jai was getting the card out of her purse when she found him?"

"God, I hope so. There's no way he'd be able to get back in there now," Annie said.

"Well, we heard him leave. If he's got it, he'll be back here soon. If not -" Auggie said, throwing up his hands.

"She left, too," Annie reminded him. "Didn't you hear the door slam again?"

"Yeah, but you don't think she'd follow him, do you?" Auggie asked, sliding off his headphones and leaning back in his chair.

"No, she's probably running away, like she did with Adams. Changing her name and finding another businessman to latch onto," Annie said exasperatedly, sliding off the desk. Walking around Auggie's chair, she ran her hands over his shoulders, kneading the tightened muscles. "Maybe we should give Jai a call, find out if he -"

A sudden knock at the door preceded its opening, and Jai walked in. In his hands, he was holding a small velvet bag, fingering it as he sat on the bed.

"Jai?"

Looking up, Jai saw Annie standing before him, her face full of worry. He couldn't say anything to her - hell, he knew she and Auggie had heard everything, and Jane's words still echoed through his head. Silently, he held the bag out ot her.

"You got it?" Annie asked, smiling and quickly opening the bag. Pulling out the one-inch square blue and gold piece of plastic and metal that had eluded them for so long, she bretahed a sigh of relief. "That's great, Jai. When we heard her yelling, we weren't sure what was happening."

"I had found her purse in the closet," Jai said, leaning his arms on his knees, his voice low. "The smartcard was in there. I had gotten it out and was putting her wallet back in when she -"

Hearing his voice break, Annie crouched down in front of him, placing her hands on his arm. "Jai? We - we heard. She just got the wrong idea, is all. Adams must have hurt her more than we thought. She was probably just projecting her anger for him onto you."

"I doubt that," Jai said, shaking off Annie's grip and standing.

"Let her go, Jai," Auggie said. "We've got the smartcard. Next step is to contact Joan with the good news and pack for our plane trip tomorrow. Besides, she's already gone running again, probably to her next American businessman."

"What?" Jai said, rounding on the both of them. "What do you mean?"

"We heard her leave just after you did," Annie said, taking a step towards him. He flinched away from her reaching hand.

"Did she say anything?" Jai asked, harshly.

"No, we just heard her screaming, crying and then running footsteps and her door slam," Annie said.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jai said loudly. "She's hysterical, out there in the city. She could get herself killed!"

Turning, Jai stalked out of the room and opened the door.

"Jai, stop!" Auggie shouted, launching himself out of his chair and going after him. He was too late. The door swung open in his hands.

"No, Auggie, wait," Annie said, grabbing his arm as he walked through the door into the hallway. "Let him go."

"Annie, he's going to jeopardize his cover," Auggie said, trying to pull out of her grasp but failing to do so.

"I don't think he will," Annie said, placing her other hand on his cheek, drawing his face toward her. "You didn't see the look on his face, Auggie. He's beyond all rational thought. I think he really fell for her."

"All the more reason to get him back here and get his butt back on a plane to D.C.," Auggie said.

"We'll give him 15 minutes, then call his cell. Just give him time to calm down," Annie said, relaxing her grip on his arm. He wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her toward him. She sighed, burying her face in his chest.

"You're way too kind for your own good, Annie Walker," Auggie whispered into her hair. "Must be why I like you so much."

Wrapping her arms around his waist, Annie leaned into his strong frame, reveling in its warmth. "But you keep me grounded, you know."

"Yeah, I know," Auggie said, smiling. Leaning back, he moved his hands from her back around her shoulders to her face. "Did you say we had 15 minutes before we have to call Jai back?"

A soft giggle escaped Annie as she nodded. "Did you have something in mind?

Nodding, Auggie lowered his face to hers.

Jane was nearly out of breath as she took the stairs two at a time to the seventh floor. The damned elevator was much too slow, and her current train of thought would not bear waiting. Her heart beat frantically in her chest, and her legs ached from the arduous effort, but as she thought of her sweet angel Jai being played for such a fool, she knew she couldn't stop now.

She would find that woman who caused such heartache for both her and her lover and cause her as much pain as she was feeling right now. The door to the seventh floor was up ahead, and she lunged for it, wrenching open the handle.

A quick glance at the signs on the wall in front of her showed that her room was to the left, and she turned, walking steadily down the corridor. She would have ran, but her legs were giving out, and she needed to reserve her strength.

As she turned the corner, the sight before her caused her already broken heart to rip completely apart. The woman she had come to confront, to scream at for causing her love so much pain, was in the arms of another man.

An unbidden scream roared noiselessly in her throat as she launched herself at her.

Suddenly feeling her head being pulled back painfully, Annie wrenched her mouth from Auggie's, her eyes snapping open. She reached back to her head, but another pull elicited a scream from her as she felt hair ripping from her scalp.

"Annie, what's wrong?" Auggie said, as he heard her scream and felt her pulling away from him.

Before she could respond, Annie felt herself being ripped completely from his grasp. She suddenly realized someone was attacking her from behind, one of their hands in her hair, and another digging painfully into her arm. Looking down, she saw it was a woman's hand, long fingernails cutting into her skin.

"How dare you do this to my sweet angel!" Jane screeched, before whipping the two-timing hussy headfirst into the wall. She repeated the action until the woman moaned and collapsed.

"Annie!" Auggie yelled, reaching out and finding her attacker, quickly pulling her away from Annie's now-huddled form and maneuvering her flailing arms behind her. He held them there with one hand tightly and threw his arm around the woman's shoulders, staying her.

Jai heard the screams as the elevator door began to close, preparing for descent. Hitting the stop button, he squeezed through them and ran down the hallway towards his rooms.

The scene in front of him stopped him cold. "Anderson! What the hell do you think you're doing? Release her! Marcy, are you okay?"

"Marcy?" Auggie asked, unbelievingly. "This is your - the girl you met this week?"

"I said let her go!" Jai yelled advancing on them.

"She's crazy, Jai! She just tried to kill Annie!" Auggie said, pulling the still struggling woman away from Annie's body.

As he got nearer, Jai noticed Annie's huddled form on the ground outside the door. She wasn't moving, and the sight unnerved him. "My God, Marcy, what did you do?"

"I knew you were stealing that money for her, Jai!" she cried. "But she was using you! I'm the one who really loves you! She never could!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Jai asked, bewildered at the hysterical woman squirming in Auggie's grasp.

"I figured it out, my sweet dark angel. You - You would never betray me truly. You were caught up in her web. But she was using you! I caught her kissing this man! Right out here for everyone to see!" Jane cried, hysteria rising in her voice.

Hearing Annie's painful moan, Jai looked down at her. She was grasping her head, and he saw blood on her fingers. He turned toward her, kneeling down.

"No!" Jane screamed, launching herself out of Auggie's grasp and toward Jai.

He only had a moment to react as he saw her out of the corner of his eye. Standing, he caught her outreached arm and whipped it around her body, throwing her off balance. She fell to the ground, and he held her there.

"Why, my sweet?" Jane cried, tears pouring from her eyes, creating black rivulets down her cheeks. "Why?" Dissolving into loud sobs, she kept repeating herself as all the fight left her system.

Easing off her slightly, Jai still held onto her arms lest she strike out again. Just hours before, he had thought he could spend his life with her, but now, seeing her twisted, ugly features and hearing the screaming gibberish, he realized how easily and foolishly he had been taken in. Tears sparked in his eyes as his paper dream folded at his feet.

Hearing Annie moan, Auggie bent over her, reaching out until he felt her arms. "Annie?" Her hand touched his, and he quickly grasped it, pulling her up to him.

Pain flared through her head as Auggie pulled her up against him, but she threw her arms around him, anyway. She reached up to her forehead with her fingers and saw a smear of blood on their tips.

"Annie, say something. Are you okay?" Auggie said frantically.

"Yeah," Annie said, feeling his strong arms wrap around her. She let her head fall against his shoulder. "Yeah, I'm okay."

Chapter 10

Annie knocked softly on Jai's door. "Jai? It's me, can I come in?"

"It's open."

Annie opened the door and walked in. Jai was sitting on the bed, his back against the wall and his knees pulled up. He held his cellphone in his hand. "Just finished talking with Joan," he said, sitting the device on the bed beside him.

Annie walked in and leaned on the desk, taking in his shuttered, withdrawn features. "What did you end up telling her?"

"What she wanted to hear." Jai said wryly with a slight smirk. "Smartcard retrieved. Jane Black neutralized. No threat found."

Annie's eyebrows rose at his cool assessment. "That's it?"

"Well, I also said you got a bump on the head, but you're taking it in stride," Jai said, flashing a smile at her.

"That's not what I mean, Jai," Annie replied. "Why didn't you -"

"Both Joan and Arthur are only interested in the final results, Annie. Whether good or bad, the ending is all they care about," Jai said. "Do you really think she'd want to hear how one of her officers nearly blew his cover by becoming infatuated with his mark?"

Annie sighed, "No, I guess not."

"So what really happened is between you, me and Mr. Wizard over there," he said pointing to the far wall. "Officially, Jane Black had a good time with a visiting businessman and is none the wiser about her two latest conquests being CIA officers."

"So for all they know she's off nursing a broken heart, when really -" Annie asked with a questioning tone.

"She's being taken care of, Annie. The details aren't important," Jai said, closing his eyes and leaning his head against the wall.

"So you're not going to tell me?" Annie said accusingly. "I'm the one with the mother of all headaches and more than a few strands of hair missing here."

Jai shook his head at her persistence and opened his eyes, looking at her. A lock of hair across her forehead covered most of the scrape and ugly bruise she sustained from Jane's attack, and her face was slightly paler than normal. "All right, fair enough. While Auggie took you to your room, I called the police to report that a woman I'd met while in town on business had gotten hysterical and delirious and attacked me. A few smiles and and a genuine show of concern for her later, and she was taken away to be evaluated by a psychiatrist."

Annie smiled at this. "So you did care for her?"

Jai shot his best "don't-push-your-luck" look at Annie, who smiled wider and stood up from the bed.

"You're going to make one woman very happy one of these days, Jai," she said, turning to leave. "But before you get too serious, make sure you run a background check first."

She had only taken a step when Jai said, "I'd offer you the same advice, but I guess the agency's already taken care of that."

Turning, Annie said, perplexed, "What do you mean?"

Jai smiled. She's still trying to hide it. Better now than never, he thought, pointing directly at the opposite wall where Auggie resided. When her eyes registered where he was pointing, a flush of color came to her pale cheeks.

"Auggie? Oh, Jai, whatever you may think, Auggie and I - well, I mean -" Annie flustered, knowing she was turning ten shades of pink.

Jai laughted and picked up his cellphone. "You may want to have a look at this."

"Look at what?" Annie asked, walking back to him.

Scrolling through to the picture of them he'd surreptitiously snapped of the two of them asleep on each other's shoulders, hands clasped together, he handed the phone to Annie.

Wondering what kind of game Jai was playing now, Annie took it out of his hands and looked at the screen. The resolution was dim, but she could make out that it was taken on the plane they'd arrived in five days earlier. Her head was nestled into Auggie's shoulder, and his rested on top of hers. Their hands were clasped together on the armrest between them. She gasped at the intimate scene, and her cheeks flushed again.

"I'd taken that picture Monday night - or was it Tuesday morning by that time? Who knows with the time change - but after getting over the initial shock of my two good friends and coworkers cuddling together like lovers, I figured I'd make you a memento of what I guessed would be the start of a beautiful relationship," Jai said, with a wide smile.

"Oh, Jai. So all this week -" Annie said, looking up from the cellphone at him.

"Yep, though I must say, Jane was a bit of a distraction. But I figured if anything happened between the two of you, I'd share that with you, give you a good memory to look back on."

"So that night in the pub?" Annie asked, handing the cellphone back to him.

"Not my doing. I only told you two to start hugging. Anderson, it seems, had other ideas in his head," Jai said, pocketing the cellphone.

"But you said last night that Joan wouldn't be too happy with her handlers -" Annie protested.

"I was angry, Annie. I was upset, and Anderson crossed a line. I'm sure Joan wouldn't mind one bit."

As everything Jai said sunk in, Annie leaned against the wall. Her head still throbbed, though, and all this information was a little much to take in.

"Why don't you lay down for the rest of the afternoon, Annie? We've all had a tough day, and Auggie mentioned something about having a final night round of beers before we head home tomorrow," Jai said, standing and placing a hand on her shoulder.

Nodding, Annie looked up at him. The man who, months ago, she knew to be only a liar and a sneak had turned into one of the greatest friends she'd ever known. Wrapping her arms around his middle, she said, "Thanks, Jai."

She then let herself out of his room and entered her own.

Auggie tapped at the inner door between their rooms before opening it a few inches. "Annie?"

"Come in, Auggie."

He let himself in and was closing the door when he heard a sharp intake of breath accompanied by a hiss of pain. "Annie? What's wrong? Where are you?"

"In the bathroom, and I'm fine," Annie said, opening the door for him to enter. She had just taken a shower and shampooed her hair as carefully as she could. The back where Jane had ripped out a small handful still stung, and she winced while combing it out.

"You sounded like you were in pain," Auggie said, leaning against the doorframe.

"Yeah, well, you try getting your hair pulled out and your head bashed into a wall," Annie said, running her fingers over the red scrape on her forehead. Reaching into her cosmetic bag, she pulled out a small container and popped two Tylenol, washing them down with a glass of water.

Picking her comb up from the counter, she gingerly pulled it through her hair. "Guess blowing my hair dry is out of the question," she laughed lightly. "Just the hot water hitting that spot on my scalp was painful."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Auggie straighten up from the doorframe and approach her. As he reached out and touched her robe-covered shoulder, she lowered her arms.

"May I?" he asked, holding his hand out.

Silently, watching his face reflected back to her in the mirror, she placed the comb in his hand. Her breathing slowed, and she stood mesmerized.

"Where's the sensitive spot?" he asked, running his fingers along her wet length of hair. As another painful hiss of air met his ears, he knew he'd found it. "Don't worry," he said quietly, gathering the wet locks in his hand and passing the comb through them gently.

He continued for several minutes, deliberately avoiding the area where she said was sensitive. As it dried, the hair curled around his fingers, and he smiled. From previous, innocent occurrences where he'd had the chance to feel her hair, he knew she wore it straight. But apparently, its natural tendency was a soft wave. He thought he had felt it when they'd kissed the night before, but he was too caught up in the heat of the moment to notice.

Now, though, he wondered why she didn't wear it this way more often. Its color, he'd been told, was blonde with streaks of honey. As he continued, he let his mind's eye fill in more details of how he thought she looked. The two occasions - all within the few days, in fact - where he'd touched her face filled in the details of her strong jawline and wide, full mouth. Her body, he knew, was tall and lithe, athletic, but curvy.

His fingers now provided the detail of soft blonde waves falling down past her shoulders. It was nearly dry when he ran the comb through once more and sat it back on the counter. Smiling wide, he stepped back from her. He could tell from niggle at the base of his neck that she'd had her eyes on him the entire time, and her breath had slowed.

"You should wear your hair like that more often," he said, stepping out of the bathroom and shutting the door.

Annie stood staring at the spot where he'd occupied for a full minute before dragging her eyes back to her reflection. What she saw there startled her. She looked happy and dazed, her eyes wide, mouth slightly open. Her hair fell in soft slightly damp waves around her shoulders. If she thought their kiss the other night left her breathless and warm all over, it was nothing compared to how she felt now. And he'd barely even touched her.

Shaking her head, blinking out of her Auggie-induced trance, she began to get dressed. Jai had mentioned plans to go out for their last night on the town, but given her already throbbing head, she wondered if they'd mind if she begged off.

Hanging the robe on the back of the door, she opened it and stepped into her room. The sight that greeted her made her smile. Auggie was sitting in the window well of her room, waiting for her. "You're in my spot," she teased, walking up to him.

"Uh-uh, your spot is the window well in my room. I figured you wouldn't mind sharing yours," he said, reaching his hand out. As her fingers curled around his, he slid out and stood in front of her. "You up for a night on the town? Or at least a few pints down the street? They've got a cozy little back booth, I hear."

Hearing the teasing, flirty tone in her voice, Annie almost changed her mind, but she knew she wouldn't be much in the way of company tonight. "Do you mind if I take a rain check on that? At least until my head stops throbbing? Not sure I want a hangover on top of this."

"Of course," Auggie said, raising his hands up to her face and tenderly pressing a kiss to her injured forehead. "Though I'm not sure what Jai will think if he finds us in your room all night."

Gulping at the thought of spending the night with Auggie in her room, Annie said, "Oh, I don't think he'll mind too much."

"What do you mean?" Auggie asked, pulling them both over to the bed and sitting down, linking his hand with hers.

"You're not gonna believe this, but he showed me a picture he took of us on the plane ride here. Apparently, we had fallen asleep on each others' shoulders, and we were holding hands," she said, squeezing his fingers where they lay on his thigh.

Auggie laughed, and leaning over, pressed a kiss to her temple. "I thought that was a dream," he said. "My imagination had been going into overdrive recently about you."

"Oh, really?" Annie asked, tilting her head up at him. "And what has your imagination been thinking?" she whispered into his ear.

Swallowing hard at the soft rush of her breath over his skin, Auggie reflexively squeezed her hand, pressing it into his thigh. "That you'd been paying me a lot of attention the last few months," he whispered back. "At first, I thought I was imagining things, but I wasn't wrong, was I?"

His lips were so near hers, and as he tilted his head nearer to hers, she could fell his cheek brush against hers. "No, though I wasn't sure what was happening, myself."

"And now?"

Instead of answering, Annie moved forward, the space between them disappearing as her lips captured his. Without the shock of their first kiss and the anger and uncertainty of their second, this kiss was slow, soft, and full of promise.


End file.
